News from Welsh Labour

Griffiths welcomes pledge to support Welsh social workers

A Labour Assembly Member has welcomed a pledge by a Welsh Government Minister to look at ways of removing pay differentials for Welsh social workers, in a bid to give the profession a much needed boost and make it more attractive to new recruits.

Wrexham AM, Lesley Griffiths, raised the issue in a Question in the National Assembly to Health and Social Services Minister, Edwina Hart.

The AM wants social worker pay – which varies between local authorities in Wales – to be ‘ironed out’ as a way of encouraging people to stay in the profession and also for it to attract young people to take up social work as a career.

In her Question to the Minister in the National Assembly, Lesley Griffiths AM said:

“Many representatives of the British Association of Social Workers were present today in the Senedd. In recent months, the social work profession has been thrust into the public gaze, and we are all aware of the incredibly bad press social workers get when the system fails.

“What we do not hear about is the stoic and dedicated professionalism that is shown by this group of workers day in, day out across Wales in all manner of difficult and tragic circumstances.

“Given the need to support social workers and, importantly, the need to ensure that the profession attracts people in the future, what consideration is the Government giving to creating binding national pay and conditions to ensure that social workers can have stability and certainty when it comes to pay wherever they work in Wales?”

In her reply, Edwina Hart agreed that action needed to be taken to address such issues:

“There are definitely structural issues within social services departments and there has sometimes been a lack of political will in local government to deal with some of the difficult issues within social services.

“About 65 per cent of social workers are employed by local authorities and they set the benchmark, but some local authorities still have pay market supplements which also skew the situation.

“Some work was done in 2005 that looked at the destructive element of competitiveness between local authorities on this. The Deputy Minister has heard your question, Lesley, and I will ask her to take matters forward.”

Commenting after her Question, Lesley Griffiths said:

“In recent months the social work profession has received dreadful headlines as a result of the shocking and tragic ‘Baby P’ case in London. Unfortunately, we only tend to hear about the bad news stories when the system fails in such a catastrophic way.

“I believe the time has come for us all to have a better understanding of the role of social workers and to give this profession the support and recognition, I believe, it truly deserves. I say this not only for those who are currently doing the job but also to make sure as a society, young people are attracted to this important career in the future.

“I am delighted the Minister has signalled her intent to look at how this can be brought about.”

Other news from Welsh Labour

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• AM welcomes safer rail travel in North Wales - 23 February 2010
• Wales Boiler Scrappage Scheme announced - 11 February 2010